Your Best Isn't Good Enough
by morphine cowboy
Summary: AU Damon is desperately trying to leave the criminal underworld, but his former boss, Klaus, wants him dead.  Things get even more complicated when Elena gets involved, and Damon must fight against overwhelming odds to break free, and save her. d/e d/r
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This is going to be an AU/all human fic, set as a crime drama. It's loosely gonna parallel Rose's story arc, but arch off in quite a few ways (the central focus of the story is Damon). I tried to include lots of characters (and keep them in character), including Damon, Rose, Elena, Elijah, Stefan, Klaus, Katherine, and Jules, and I will add others if I see a good way to work them in! A lot of this story will be told through flashback. Lots of pairings and lots of action, it should be a lot of fun, in fact so much fun that the rating might be bumped up to M later! As always reviews/feedback/constructive criticism are very much appreciated!

...

"_... Suspects are heading south-bound in a black four-door IS250, license plate 2JD-88S. There are reports of two individuals, one Caucasian male, one Caucasian female, and both appear to be in their late twenties. Suspects are believed to be armed and dangerous, I repeat suspects are armed and dangerous, approach with caution. Paramedics report one white male, deceased, to have received multiple gun-shot wounds to the head. No details have emerged on the possibility of a second party involved in the shooting but..."_

Damon switched off the police transponderin disgust. There was no way they would be able to get far with every patrol car in Richmond gunning for them. _They. _ He let the word rattle around in his head for a moment, and allowed himself a small smile, his first in as long as he could remember. Damon didn't often get the chance (nor did he want) to think in terms of _they._ Taking special care not to move his head, he glanced out of the corner of his eyes at the woman hunched over in the seat next to him. Black lines of mascara were trailing down her pale cheeks, and her shoulder-length brunette hair was matted against her forehead, stuck by dry sweat. She had been in tears, almost hysterical, after it happened, but she had done an absolutely admirable job of retreating into herself and shutting off all emotion in the past half-hour, dwelling silently as Damon maneuvered away from the scene of the crime.

"Hey," he offered, breaking the silence. She didn't say anything. "Rose," he tried to summon her attention once more, still refusing to turn his head.

"Sorry," she said, her voice strained. "I was... thinking. Go on."

"Huh, well I certainly am not going to object to that. But yeah, I'm going to pull off pretty soon and duck into a parking lot so we can change the license plates. I don't think our luck will hold out much longer otherwise."

"Luck?" She didn't sound upset at his word choice, just surprised.

"Yeah, I guess I probably should have phrased that better."

"No harm done. At least they didn't have us identified by name. I- I still can't believe Klaus set us up like that. What could we have done? I knew Trevor was skimming a little money off the top, but Klaus wouldn't risk the heat of killing all of us for that. But I guess, well I guess he did."

Damon tightened his grip on the steering wheel as he changed lanes, cutting through the dark, empty highway towards an exit ramp. He was very certain there was a much bigger reason behind the betrayal. A dark haired, beautiful reason that went by the name of Katherine. And because of his past mistakes, this poor girl he had just met a few nights before was marked for death along with him. Well, that was assuming Klaus wasn't going to off her and her friend anyways, but now it was certain.

"With that man, any reason is enough," Damon said bitterly as he got on the off-ramp, easing his foot off the accelerator.\

...

"_It's in the duffel bag?" The man asked Damon, seated behind a small wooden desk. They were in a barren apartment, used only for shady business deals._

"_Of course it is." Damon said, setting the bag on the table. He unzipped the top. "Well, something is," In one fluid motion, Damon pulled out the revolver tucked neatly near the top. He cocked it, and pointed it directly at the face of the overweight man in front of him. A moment later, Rose pulled a snub-nosed pistol out of her inside jacket pocket, and pointed it at a second man who was holding a brief case. "Alright, I think you know what comes next. Hand over the money before I blast your brains out."_

"_What's this? Are you serious?" The fat man said, dabbing at the sweat that had suddenly appeared on his forehead. _

"_Oh, dead serious. I can shoot you if you aren't convinced though. I've killed before." Damon said with a forced smirk. He beckoned to the man with the brief case._

"_So-So you don't have the coke? Klaus will kill you when he finds out you crossed us!" The fat man pleaded as his companion tentatively handed Damon the case. His gun was still trained right between the large man's eyes as he handed the case to Rose. _

"_Make sure it's all there," he ordered. He turned back to the pair in front of him. "Au contraire, this was all Klaus's idea. Looks like the shop is closed for you boys."_

"_It's all here, let's go" Rose interjected. _

"_You just bought my freedom," Damon said as he backed towards the door, the gun still pointed towards the duo, who were sitting in shocked disbelief. "Hey if you have any objections with the way Klaus is doing business, I'm sure he'd be just thrilled to hear 'em." He turned around and ran out the door, following Rose quickly down the stairs. They bounded down half the block, before hopping into a black IS250 parked in a dark alley. Damon hopped in shotgun, and Rose got in the back._

"_All good?" Trevor asked from the driver seat, flicking a half-smoked cigarette. _

"_It's golden, now get us the hell out of here," Rose replied, her voice reflecting her nervous excitement. _

_The car peeled off, and Damon sat still as Rose and Trevor exchanged sporadic chatter. One more stop, and he was off to lead a new life. He went over the plan in his head for the umpteenth time. The last step was to deliver the money to Klaus's right hand man, Elijah. Assuming Klaus was a man of his word (Damon chose to overlook the two saps Klaus had just ordered him to double-cross), he was free to leave the syndicate. A proposition almost too good to believe. _

"_So you're almost a free man? No more summons at three o'clock in the morning to do Klaus's evil bidding. Just what will you do with yourself?" Rose leaned forward and asked Damon with a smile._

_Damon chuckled. "Drink, at least for a while. I'm more of a spur of the moment kinda guy, haven't really thought ahead." Rose laughed and Trevor cracked a smile as he turned into a parking lot. They were almost there. "Oh, which reminds me, I'd like to buy you guys a round of drinks, or nine, after this. A toast to my new and soon to be former partners in crime. Should be a nice memento to end a miserable six years. That is, if you guys don't have plans at 1 am on this fine Tuesday night."_

"_Sounds bloody brilliant," Trevor said as he pulled the car up next to an old warehouse, putting it in park. _

"_Rose?" Damon asked, arching his eyebrows._

_A smile spread across her face, "Sure, I would like to get to know the mysterious Mr. Salvatore over a drink or nine."_

"_Excellent. Drinks on me. Now let's give this smug bastard the money and get outta here." Damon got out of the car, grabbing the brief case. Trevor opened the drivers door and got out as well,lighting up a cigarette as he stepped out into the cool night air. _

_Damon opened the back door for Rose, and looked in at her. "I'm going to stay in the car, Elijah gives me the creeps," she said, arching her eyebrows uncertainly._

"_You sure you'll be alright out here by yourself?" Damon asked mockingly._

"_I'm a big girl," she replied. "Besides, I got this." She pulled out her pistol and pointed it at Damon, closing one eye. "Bang, bang, you're dead." she added with a mischievous grin. Damon put his hand over his heart and closed his eyes, before turning around and closing the door._

_Damon nodded at Trevor, who inhaled deeply from his cigarette, leaving an acrid cloud of smoke to hang in the night air. The two walked in silence to the agreed meeting place, besides a storage unit a few dozen yards away. Sure enough, as they rounded the corner, there was Elijah, dressed in a sharp gray suit. What surprised, and unsettled, Damon was the blonde woman at his side. He recognized her instantly. Jules. The name made him cringe. He had worked with her a few times, and couldn't stand the woman. _

"_I am so glad you decided to be punctual. Here we go now, let me see that. I trust it's all there."_

_Damon tossed over the case, and Elijah caught it effortlessly. "Every damned dollar. Now am I free to go? I got things to do," Damon demanded. His voice betrayed his uneasiness more than he would have liked. _

"_Mmm, and where is the girl, Rose? I thought the arrangement was that all three of you were to meet me?" _

"_She's in the car, I can ge..." Damon cut Trevor off mid sentence, by raising his hand. He felt frozen in place. Everything about the situation seemed completely wrong. He noted with extreme distaste that Elijah had dodged his question. He could see Jules tensing up, staring him and Trevor down. _

"_Trevor, run!" he shouted as he turned around immediately and began sprinting. _

"_What, wh-" Trevor failed to realize the circumstances, and stood stupidly in confusion as Elijah dropped the brief case and pulled out a gun, discharging multiple shots into the immobile man. Jules followed suit, and pulled out a semi-automatic pistol, and fired frantically at Damon. He ran recklessly, his arms flailing through the air, unable to hear or think._

* * *

"And... there we go!" Damon proclaimed as he tightened the last screw on the swapped out license plates.

Rose watched without expression. She sighed and slumped down along the side of the car, resting her head in her hands. "Now what? We still got the cops on our tail, and Klaus will hunt us to the ends of the earth. What are we gonna do Damon?"

"We?" he asked, slightly surprised. "Well, I figured we would part ways in the not to distant future. I'm sure you got people to call, places to hide. We're a bigger target if we move together." He looked down at her. An uneasy silence hung in the air, each one anticipating the other to speak first. Damon didn't intend to be cruel; he was just being practical. And that was how he had operated, and that was why he had survived all this time in such an unforgiving setting. He looked out for himself, and didn't let anyone else slow him down.

"Well," Rose said solemnly, looking up to meet his eyes, "if that's what you want, I understand. But, I was hoping that maybe I could stick with you, just for a little while." Damon stood quietly, his hands jammed into his pockets. "It's just that, well I'm a long way from home, and my only friend here is laying face down, his body riddled full of bullets. I just- I don't really have anywhere to go. I could probably figure something out, but I'd rather, I'd just prefer being with someone, you know? At least for a little while." she nodded to herself, and wiped away a rouge tear that threatened to destroy the illusion of strength she was trying so desperately to portray to Damon.

Damon looked down at her bitterly. She had a pitifully pleading look in her eyes, and she fumbled with her hair in an all too nervous way. This is where he would normally draw the line. This is where he should give the tough love, tell her that he would help her get somewhere safe, but there was no way they could be on the run together. Hell, a lot of people he would have left then and there. It was like he told the fat man earlier; he was capable of doing very bad things. But, there was something he liked about this Rose. Something comforting, something that he hadn't seen in anybody in a while. Not necessarily in a lustful sense, the way he saw Katherine (that bitch put him in this situation), but something warm. So before he realized it he opened his mouth to speak. "Fine, but only because I had promised to get you a drink earlier. We can stick together, at least until you get on my nerves." He outstretched a hand, and she accepted, allowing him to pull her up.

"Thanks Damon, it means a lot," she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in close for a hug. He drew her in and rested his arm on her head. "Did you have an idea on what to do next?" She asked after she had pulled away.

"Well, my estranged brother lives pretty close to here. And much to his undoubted dismay, I was thinking of stopping there for a bit. You know, gather some supplies, rest, think out our next move."

"You mean steal his stuff?" Rose asked with a smile

"Ouch. Dontcha think that's a bit harsh," Damon said as he got back into the drivers seat. He hadn't seen his brother in almost a year, and he was interested to see how he would react to his untimely return. Then his mind paused on a slight detail. Well, maybe it wasn't so _slight_. It was that girl that had been there last time. Elena was her name, and she had left an unexpected impression on Damon. Suddenly, he found himself desperately hoping that she would be there this time as well.


	2. Chapter 2

"... and you brought the car here, when the police and Klaus are looking for you?"

"It's in the driveway, so that question seems a little redundant, doesn't it?"

"Damn it Damon, can you be serious, this is, this is real bad, I mean there's a million things that can go wrong and-"

A humorless laugh. "Stefan, please, a million things _have _gone wrong. Now this is just for a little bit. I know you have some money here and I could really, really use to borrow it. I will get it back to you, and that is a promise, as soon as things blow over. Judging by your reaction, you know this situation is _slightly _urgent. I mean, that is why I'm here, this is a measure of last resort kinda thing."

"Oh, I'm glad I'm your last resort..."

Rose watched the exchange from down the hallway. She traced her finger idly around the rim of the glass she was holding. Damon and his brother had been at it since they arrived a few minutes ago. They would argue in hushed voices, gradually getting louder as the conversation escalated, then reverting back to a near whisper. Damon had immediately poured himself a glass of scotch when they arrived, while she helped herself to a glass of water and quietly excused herself from the kitchen. The situation had taken a turn for the surreal, and she was having trouble comprehending everything that had just happened. She felt as if she were in a dream. She was in a dimly lit house she had never been to before, with two men she barely knew. Her best friend was dead and she was wanted by both the authorities and her former employer. On top if it all she was extremely tired, so much so that she could barely keep her eyes open. It was almost four in the morning, and she had been up since six the previous day. She listened in again.

"Fine, I'll lend you the money, and you can stay here tonight, but I swear to God Damon, I am not getting involved in this."

"And you won't! It'll be like I was never here, now if you don't mind I could really use to get some sleep."

Rose heard the sound of a door opening from one of the bedrooms behind her, and immediately turned around. A girl, quite a few years younger than herself from the looks of it, stepped out slowly into the hallway. Her eyes were still partly closed, looking quite like she had just woken up. She was wearing a light pink tank top and short black cotton shorts. She looked cautiously at Rose, who stood in a shocked silence, and walked forward until she could see the brothers in the kitchen.

"Damon? What are you doing here?" she asked in disbelief.

* * *

_Damon saw the the back of her head, and his heart jumped slightly. It was a curious uneasiness, a strangely nervous, yet exciting, feeling he couldn't seem to shake whenever he saw her. He finished the rest of the beer he was sipping on, and sauntered over to where she stood on the balcony, overlooking the water. He leaned on the railing next to her and simply said, "hey". _

"_Damon!" She said his name quickly, sounding flustered. _

"_Woah, didn't mean to scare ya." he replied._

"_No, it's just that I was sort of lost in thought, and didn't really expect anyone to come out here." Elena replied, turning to face him. She held a glass of wine in her right hand and took a sip, staring at him over the glass._

"_Well it was getting a bit stuffy in there, though I should have gotten another drink before I came outside. Some of Stefan's friends are dreadfully boring. At least compared to some of the people we used to know."_

"_Used to know? Well now I'm intrigued. And you better watch your mouth, mister, a lot of those people in there are my friends."_

"_I take it they make up the attractive, young female demographic," he joked. _

_Elena smiled a humorless smile. "So you really have to leave tomorrow?"_

"_Would you rather I stay?"_

"_What? It's just I-" _

_He had caught her off guard, but mercifully he interrupted. "It was a joke. But yeah, I really do have to get going tomorrow, duty calls. I didn't even plan on staying this long really, it just sort of happened."_

_Elena nodded. He had been staying at Stefan's house for a little under a week. Stefan was always reluctant to talk about his brother, making him into a dark, mysterious character of sorts. He had shown up to wish Stefan a happy birthday, but Elena convinced him to stay in town for the party she was throwing him at the end of the week. "Well I enjoyed getting to know you," she admitted. She paused for a moment, as if carefully selecting her next words. "It would be nice if you stopped by again sometime. At least think about it."_

_Damon smiled inwardly. "Well, then I would have to put up with Stefan again, and that's something I can't handle too often. But hey, if I'm ever out this way, I'll swing by. How about that?"_

* * *

_She had drained the last of her wine. "I'd like that, and even if he won't admit it, I know Stefan would too. Now come on, it looks like we both need to head inside for a refill."_

Damon and Stefan immediately ceased their bickering, and turned around to look at Elena.

"Elena, I-" Stefan began.

"You haven't seen me in almost a year and that's how you greet me?" Damon cut his brother off, and took a few steps towards the girl in the hallway. "Oh, and this is Rose. Elena, Rose. Rose, Elena."

The two women looked at each other and muttered half-hearted greetings.

"So you never told me why you show up at 3 am with no warning," Elena pressed Damon.

"Look, something happened Elena, something with my," he indicated to Rose, "our job. We're in a lot of trouble, and I had to use a lifeline." Damon told her. "Look, we can catch up in the morning, I know I could use a shower and some sleep, like right now. How about you Rose?"

"Yeah, a shower would be fantastic," she affirmed.

Elena narrowed her eyes at Damon, unsatisfied with his explanation. "Fine, but you 're telling me more tomorrow." She turned back to Rose. "Here, I'll show you to the shower, it's connected to the guest bedroom right over here."

Rose thanked her graciously and went immediately to the bathroom. Her head had a dull throb from fatigue and stress, and she anxiously turned on the water, waiting til it got scalding hot. Steam began to fill up the small room. She stripped off her clothes, and discarded them in the corner in a heap. She looked at her naked reflection in the mirror, and suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to scream. Instead, she broke down into a series of muted sobs. She didn't even care to bring herself together as she entered the shower, letting the searing water flow over her body. She couldn't stand to be in there for more than a few minutes, her body begged her for the sweet release of sleep.

Rose exited the shower and wrapped herself in a clean towel. Elena had said she'd put some clean clothes for her in the bedroom, so without thinking twice, Rose walked out into the connected guest room.

"Damon," she said, taken back a bit.

"Oh, I'm sorry, thought you would change in the bathroom." He was making the bed, presumably for her.

"Oh, it's no bother," she found out she really didn't mind. She walked over, got the pile of clothes Elena had lain out, and took them back to the bathroom, changing quickly. She re-emerged, and sat in the bed.

"Goodnight," he called out, standing next to the light switch.

"Wait," she quickly replied. "You know, you don't have to sleep on the couch. I don't bite."

"It's too late for innuendo, so I'll just go ahead and take the offer." He smiled at her, lifting the covers, sliding into bed next to her. She put her arm over his chest, pulling up close, and closed her eyes, drifting instantly into a deep sleep.

* * *

"Tell me again, how you managed to screw this whole thing up." Klaus was angry, in fact he was outraged. But his voice was cool, sonorous. It sent shivers up Elijah's spine.

"Look, I'm not resting until he's dead, I am truly sorry." Elijah had his head bowed, averting the deadly stare of his boss.

"I certainly hope not. Failure is quite simply, not an option."

"I know, I-" The door opened behind him, and Jules walked in quickly, doing her best to avoid Klaus's glare. She handed Elijah a folder, and whispered something into his ear. Elijah smiled. "Go on, tell him," he instructed calmly.

"We had a tracking device in Trevor's car. We got a fix on the location, and it appears they've stopped somewhere."

"And?" Klaus demanded.

"It's his brothers house. Name, Stefan Salvatore, age 24 occupation.."

"I know of Stefan Salvatore."

"Oh," Jules paused. "Yes, well it seems like he's living with one Elena Gilbert. Now, I think-"

"Gilbert?" Klaus mused. "Elena Gilbert?"

"Yes-" Jules looked confused. "Do you know of her too?"

Klaus grinned. "Yes, dear, I do. What a pleasant surprise." He turned back toward Elijah. "Get out there immediately. Kill Damon and the other one. Bring Ms. Gilbert back to me, unharmed." It had been two years since he had heard the name Gilbert, and hadn't expected to hear it again. But as luck would have it, this girl had worked her way perfectly into his plans, and he wasn't about to lose out on the oppurtunity.

a/n: let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

a/n: thanks to those of you who reviewed, and sorry for the long wait.. Papers due and the like. But this chapter is really long, in compensation. Also, apparently this show is going on a six week hiatus, we just had a hiatus! :\

_Damon stopped just outside the gold framed double doors. He turned around, and tried to muster the will to walk coolly back the way he came. He wanted to leave, to never return. He wanted to embrace the reckless, egotistical urge to drop everything, to think he could survive the repercussions and emerge even stronger because of it. But his rational side laughed at this absurdity. He, as always, decided against certain death, and turned back to the door. With an unshakeable sense of defeat, he barged inside; wearing a scowl and holding his head low. _

"_Klaus is expecting you upstairs," a pretty, young receptionist informed him without looking away from the computer monitor in front of her._

"_I know that," Damon said bitterly, walking past her toward an elevator. He got inside and hit the button for the top floor. He did his best to shut his brain off as the elevator ascended. There were quite a few unfortunate outcomes Damon had reflected on since Klaus had summoned his immediate return from Miami the night before. He couldn't avoid picturing his bloody body being discreetly removed from the building later that night. _

_An unassuming ding signaled the inevitable meeting with his ruthless boss was about to begin. The elevator door slid open and Damon tried his best to mask his apprehension with a nonchalant demeanor. He walked across the forest green and gold carpet until he reached a set of grand mahogany doors. He pushed them open and found himself in the unfortunately all-to-familiar setting of one of his boss's many offices. Old and tattered maps were framed and hung around the large rectangular room. Book cases held both leather jacket books and ornate decorations collected from across the world. In the back center of the room was a large desk that had supposedly belonged to one of Napoleon's generals in the 19th century. Seated behind it was a figure as deadly as fearsome as any military man._

"_Damon, please, take a seat," Klaus gestured to a chair facing his desk. Damon sat down, and uneasily glanced at Klaus and Elijah, who was standing at Klaus's side with his arms folded._

"_Now, it's come to my attention that we've ran into a couple serious problems with our operations in Miami." Klaus's voice was without inflection, and it as always, set Damon on edge._

"_Hey now, things were going great, and they still will be, it's just-" Damon began, making sure not to sound desperate._

"_Oh, Damon, there is no need to worry. I am quite aware of the wonderful work you've been doing down there in South Beach. Trust me, your work has been exemplary, and I assign no blame to you in regards to recent developments. But the fact of the matter is, one of your men got arrested, and the evidence against him is substantial. Now there is no reason to believe he will rat anyone out, but the he was in contact with you. I can't have you brought down, because that just brings the authorities one step closer to me. So I am taking you out of Miami, and am temporarily halting business there."_

"_So- where does that leave me?" Damon asked. _

"_Well actually, I am going to present you with an opportunity; one I am guaranteed you will accept."  
_

"_An opportunity?" _

"_Remember, how after Las Vegas, you inquired about leaving the syndicate? Now I assured you that although you were asked to carry out some rather difficult assignments, leaving was an absolute impossibility. However, in light of recent circumstances, I have decided it is best for us to part ways. I have already hired a new captain for Miami, and he will assemble an entirely new crew there, once things blow over. I think it would be best if you were to go in hiding for a while, perhaps it would be best for you to leave the country for a bit. So Damon, what do you say, are you ready to terminate our business partnership?"_

_In all of his imagined scenarios for this meeting, he couldn't have dreamed of this. "Yes, I am definitely ready. I'll disappear," he snapped his fingers "like that." He spoke quickly, as if he feared that Klaus would resend his offer if it wasn't accepted instantaneously. _

"_Now I am going to ask one last thing of you before you go. I have one more assignment, and I demand your completion of it as a token of good faith." Damon nodded cautiously. "Good. You are going to Richmond tomorrow. There you will meet up with two of my associates, Rose and Trevor." Klaus slid open the top drawer of his desk and pulled out a thin manilla folder. He slid it across the immaculate surface towards Damon. "You three will be tasked with robbing these fools who were arrogant enough to try and cross me. You are going to go to the apartment, the address is in there, at 12:00 am on Tuesday. They will think you are there to sell them a large amount of cocaine, but in reality you are just there to rob them blind. Once you have their money, the three of you are to meet up with Elijah. Then, and only then Damon, will you be free to go. Do we have an understanding?"_

_Damon leaned forward across the desk, and looked Klaus directly in the eyes. "Yes, yes we do."_

* * *

The sun poured in through the white Venetian blinds and warmed Damon's skin. He reluctantly opened his eyes and glanced sideways at his watch, careful not to disturb Rose, who was still deep in sleep. It was a little after nine in the morning, and an overwhelming sense of exhaustion still wracked Damon. The clean blanket's felt soft and comforting against his skin, and tempted him to retreat back into the soothing unconsciousness of sleep. An even more persuading argument to remain in bed was the beautiful woman snuggled up against him, breathing softly in her sleep. Her arm was draped reassuringly across his abdomen, and her smooth skin felt ecstatic against his. Still, the precarious situation they were in forced him out of his temporary haven. He lifted Rose's arm up as gently as possible, and slipped out of bed. He changed quietly, listening in to the sounds of movement in the kitchen. Stefan and Elena were already up.

He braced himself and left the guest room, striding confidently down the hall towards the kitchen. "Morning," he addressed the two in his cheeriest voice. Stefan and Elena looked at each other for a split second, then turned back towards Damon, who had begun rummaging through the stainless steel fridge.

"Alright, Damon, it's time for you to tell me what happened," Elena inquired, pointing her spoon in his direction.

"Oh please, like he hasn't already told you. I got set up and left for dead by my boss, who happens to be the head of a very powerful crime syndicate; and the police think Rose and I killed poor old Trevor, and we didn't, I can promise that much. The poor woman was devastated." Damon peeked his head out from behind the fridge door. "Seriously, skim milk? Come on Stefan, your better than that. You know you're better than that."

"Elena likes skim milk. Besides, I could use to cut back on the saturated fats anyways." Stefan countered.

"Guys, can we focus? What are you going to do Damon? The police will catch up to you eventually, isn't it better to just go to them now? You and Rose can work out a plea bargain and go into witness protection. If you run they will just assume you are guilty." Elena looked worried.

"Ha, witness protection, that's a good one," Damon shook his head. "What if I get assigned some job I don't like. What if they made me work with animals? No, impossible." He took a sip out of a cup of coffee. "Besides, the cops didn't have our names, at least they didn't last night. I just stopped by to recoup, there's no way they'd look all the way out here. But, I think I've just about stayed out my welcome."

"I'll say," Stefan said.

"Hah. Well I believe we have a financial issue to discuss, and then I'll be on my way, and you two can continue to live happily ever after."

"Alright Stefan, I'll get you some money, but stay in the kitchen. I don't want you to know where I hide it." Stefan shot a threatening glare Damon's way.

"It's not in the printer box tucked away in your room still, is it? Because if it is, you are fighting a futile battle."

"How did you-"

"Oh I have my ways. Now hurry up, I want to get my things ready, then I'll wake Rose up."

Stefan walked away, shaking his head. "Not the brightest bulb you're hanging around with," Damon joked as he sat down at the breakfast table next to Elena. He took a bite out of a bright red apple as he talked.

"Yeah, but I still like him." Elena sighed.

"One of life's great mysteries," Stefan mumbled through a mouthful of half-chewed apple.

Elena turned away from him and looked at the light brown table top. "You never came back and visited, Damon."

"What, this doesn't count?"

"No," she sounded disappointed. "And now who knows how long it will be til we hear from you again, and who knows, you might wind up dead before we even get to speak again. Why didn't you call or visit? Stefan says he hasn't heard from you since last year."

"Hey, I'm sorry, but it's complicated. I haven't exactly been a man in control of his own destiny for these past few years."

Stefan walked back in, holding a brown paper bag. "Alright, it's in here."

"Great," Damon said, standing up. "I'll go wake up Rose."

* * *

_The wind howled incessantly and brought sheets of rain crashing into the window of the small flat. The terrible weather had started that morning and had refused to let up. Rose was curled up on the couch, as she had been all day. She had cocooned herself in a pile of blankets, and held a goblet of red wine, which she sipped on as she watched T.V. _

"_Prime Minister Tony Blair is stepping down tomorrow, marking the end of an era for U.K. politics. Shannon, what legacy will he leave here at Westminster?" Rose eyed the white paper box on the table in front of her. A loan noodle draped down the side of the Chinese delivery container, taunting her. She knew whatever was left must be cold by now, but she remembered there being a few pieces of chicken left uneaten._

"_Well I think a lot will hinge on the outcome of his handling of the Iraq war. There are many both within his own party and especially on the Tory side, who have been fiercely critical of his continued support for the controversial conflict." _

_Her stomach rumbled, and she took it as a sign to finish the rest of her chicken lo-mien. Reluctantly, she outstretched her arm, and picked up the box, removing the chop-sticks jutting out from the top. "I guess I'll start my diet tomorrow," she joked to herself. A sudden knock at her door startled her. She set the food and her wine down, and peered suspiciously across her dark flat. She stood up and walked uncertainly towards the door as another urgent succession of knocks sounded. She grabbed a kitchen knife from the counter, and gazed through the peep-hole. "Who is it?" she asked. A soaking wet red-haired girl stood on the other side. _

"_Please miss, would'ya open up?" she sounded Scottish, probably from around Glasgow. Thinking to herself for a moment, Rose wondered why this girl would be at her door, on the second floor of the apartment complex. The paranoid side of her warned her this was some trick, a deception to get her to open up. The humanitarian in her wondered if this was just a poor girl who needed some help; and if so, then she couldn't just leave her outside. _

"_Shit," Rose muttered to herself, deciding she had an obligation to see if the girl needed help. She left the chain attached to the door, and opened it just an inch, barely enough to see her. "Yes, what can I do for you?" Rose asked. Before she could hear a reply, a loud crack sounded, followed immediately by a horrible pain that shot through her whole head. Her vision lost all focus and she collapsed backwards to the floor. Her head was spinning and she couldn't comprehend anything, but she felt someone hoist her up off the ground. She blinked her eyes, and was able to see that her door was broken in, and three men had rushed into the room. One met her stare, and pulled a black bag from his pocket, and forced it over her head. A terrifying case of claustrophobia overwhelmed Rose as her vision became completely black, and she as she felt someone tightly tie a rope around her wrists. As the blood flow to her hands trickled to a drip, and eventually ceased, she passed out._

_When Rose first slipped back into consciousness, she for a brief second assumed she had fallen asleep watching T.V., because she could hear unfamiliar voices conversing quietly all around her. A sharp pain in her head caused her to open her eyes, but she was greeted with blackness. Fearing she had gone blind, Rose thrashed out in frenzied panic, only to find her body constrained firmly to a seat. Suddenly, the vicious attack at her flat came rushing back, and she instinctively began to scream. _

"_Oy, cease that bloody shoutin'," someone commanded to her side, and suddenly she could see again. She blinked quickly as a room flashed into view. There were cases of beer and empty kegs in a dingy and dimly lit concrete room. She could feel the moisture and cold from outside seeping in through the cracked walls. Three or four men stood around, smoking cigarettes and staring down at her. _

"_Please, what do you want?" Rose pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. She heard a door swing open behind her, and the sound of footsteps and shouting soon followed. She strained to turn around and see who it was, but she couldn't tilt her head past her shoulder. _

"_Aye mate, now perhaps we'll see some cooperation, won't we?" Three more men walked into her line of view. Her heart sank when she instantly recognized one as Trevor. His hands were tied behind his back, and his white T-shirt was soaked with blood and sweat. His face was bruised and puffy, and coagulated blood streaked down from his forehead, trickling onto his cheeks._

"_Trevor!" Rose cried, struggling in futility against the ropes constricting her. _

"_Oh hell, Rose!" Trevor shouted back, breaking into tears. "You bastard, I'll fucking kill you, I swear, now let her go!" _

_One of the men, who looked to be about thirty laughed and crouched down next to Trevor. "'at was how I was hoping you w'uld react. Now tell me Trevor boy- I'm bloody tired of asking, who let on to Johnny's crew where we were stashin' our crop? I know it wa'nt you, but I know you sure as hell know," the man demanded. _

_Trevor averted his gaze and looked at dirty floor. "P-please, don't," he begged, and for a brief moment he looked over at Rose. She met his eyes and her face contorted in sadness, tears threatening at the sight of her friend in such a pitiful situation. Unfortunately, the crouched man took note of their exchange. _

_He laughed maniacally and stood up, walking slowly over to where Rose was held. He had a patchy beard and a messy head of black hair. His face was leathery from smoke and scarred from fighting. "Well, look-y 'ere, Rose i'nit?" He circled around behind her, and put his rough hands on her shoulders. "Your best buddy Trevor is being a bit difficult. We just wanna know one teensy thing, don't we boys? He ain't even in trouble!" The man's hands drifted over down her arms, as he walked to stand face to face from her. She shuddered at his touch, and her heart rate sped up out of control. _

"_Get'chur hands off her right now!" Trevor shouted, and began to struggle against the two men who held him. They through him violently back to the ground, and Rose could hear the sound of his body hit the unforgiving gray concrete. Outside, she could hear the rain continue it's relentless downpour. The man, who reeked of whiskey and smoke, leaned in close to Rose, and put one hand on her leg. "Get your hands off me you freak!" She shouted, and tried to butt him with her head. He had seen the attack coming however, and retreated with a hearty laugh. "Oh, you foolish cunt, 'ere try this out!" he smacked her suddenly and violently, setting Rose's entire face on fire. She could hear Trevor scream out in opposition. Her face was stinging and a dull buzz interrupted her hearing._

"_Now I'm sick of playin' 'round. You tell me right now Trevor," suddenly a sharp Bowie knife emerged from his belt, "Or I'll cut yo' girls face so good ain't no man will ever want to touch her after this." The steel blade was thrust in her face, suspended in air, hovering just above her skin. Rose began to breathe deeply, as light glinted off the sharp edge. "Last chance, 'lest you want the last thing you ever hear' be her screams."_

"_It was Donnie Blake!" Trevor shouted, "Donnie Blake gave the tip, so he could get a cut! He needed money for his sister's cancer treatments. I'm sorry," he sobbed. "Please just let her go, I don't care what'ya do to me, just please let Rose go, she don't have nothin' to do with this."_

_The man turned away from Rose, and the blade was mercifully removed from it's immediate proximity to her face. "Ole' Donnie did this eh? Well I'm gonna check on that, see if it's true. George, get some guys together and find Donnie. Me and him are gonna have a word." _

"_Please, let Rose go. I swear I told you all I know." Trevor begged._

"_I'll tell ya' what. If this turns out true, I'll let you both go. But on one condition; you leave the U.K. forever and you don't ever come back. I don't wanna ever see your traitorous face again."_

* * *

_Rose hung her head, and looked over at Trevor as someone untied her from the chair._

"Hey, rise and shine. We got a busy day ahead of us." Rose's senses came back one at a time, and she blinked her eyes, forgetting temporarily where she was. She looked across the crisp white sheets to see Damon standing at the side of the bed, his arms folded. She yawned, and slowly crawled out of bed as her mind connected the series of events that lead her to where she was.

She yawned again, "Morning."

"Morning to you too. Get dressed and help yourself to whatever food is in the kitchen. I'm going to take a shower and then we'll get going. We've got to get rid of this car today, head North. I know some people up that way that can help us."

"Well I'm glad you have a plan, because I didn't have a clue what are next step should be," Rose said to him as he closed the door to the bathroom.

He smiled at her and closed the door. She could hear the shower burst to life inside. She got dressed, and walked over to the kitchen. It was empty, and she walked uncertainly over to the fridge, suddenly feeling very out of place. She looked around for a moment, settling on some yogurt and a bagel.

"Goodmorning," a feminine voice came from behind her.

Rose turned quickly around, "Elena! Oh you startled me. Goodmorning to you too. And thanks so much for everything, really it's been wonderful."

Elena leaned on the counter. "I'm just glad we could help. Stefan told me about what happened to your friend, Trevor. I'm really sorry."

"Thanks, I am too. Trevor was my best friend. I just don't know what I'm going to do."

Elena couldn't think of anything to say, but walked over and put her hand on Rose's shoulder. Rose sighed and spoke again, "You know, I can't help but feel as if I knew this was coming. Like I should be shocked, but I'm not. He's escaped death before you know, and he had almost brought me down with him. But I wasn't mad at him; it wasn't his fault. He was trying to do the right thing in the wrong situation. We survived, but we had to leave home, forever. All my family, my other friends, they'd be in danger if we stayed. So we got out and came here, and the cycle started again, except this time Trevor wasn't so lucky."

"It sounds like he meant a lot to you. Were you two in love?"

Rose smiled. "No, not love. At least not in the romantic sense. I'd known him my whole life and we'd gone everywhere together, did everything together, shared everything. For better or for worse, neither of us felt that extra dimension, that, you know, smoldering, passionate love." The sound of water running through pipes ceased. "Well I guess Damon is done showering. I better get my stuff together, we need to get going."

"I guess you guys do. Stefan's outside getting that car of yours ready. Please be careful Rose, and try your best to take care of Damon, I know he can be a handful."

"Actually, he's been really good to me, you know, in spite of everything. I must say I'm surprised."

"Yeah, me too." Elena said, crossing her arms. "Come on, I'll help you with your things."

It didn't take them long to gather the supplies they needed. "Well, I gotta say, I appreciate this Stefan. And if the police come knocking, I apologize in advance for the lies you will be forced to tell them. But I'm sure you'll think of something, you always do."

"Well you didn't leave me with much choice did you? Anyways, get in touch with me when you can, I promise I'll keep the cops off your back if they come around." He extended his hand, and Damon shook it. "Rose, I'm sorry I had to meet you under these conditions, but I hope everything turns out alright for you."

"Oh, Stefan, thanks so much, you've been great," Rose hugged him briefly. "You too, Elena, thank you for taking me in, it was a wonderful thing for you to have done."

"Oh of course, please, be careful!" Elena hugged Rose, before turning to look at Damon. "I wish it didn't take a life threatening situation for you to come visit."

"Hey, I'm sorry already," Damon said as Elena went in for a hug. "Alright, this has been a touching moment, but we better get going before I tear up." And with that, Damon and Rose got back in the car and backed out of the drive way. They both anxiously hoped for some degree of comfort and safety ahead, some semblance of order. What lay ahead however, was anything but.

tell me what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

a/n- Thanks again to everyone who reviewed! Unfortunately my life is pretty busy right now (just finished midterms and had a wilddd spring break) and it usually takes me a while to get a chapter conceptualized in my head, so updates will probably continue at this kinda pace :/ Anyways, this is more or less the half-way point, so things will start picking up pace. Once again, tell me what you think!

"You can't screw this up Jules. Get in and out, no noise nor witnesses. This whole situation is a fiasco already." Jules could feel Elijah's tension through the phone. Usually he was almost serenely calm, so much so that she thought he could probably stare down a charging bull without flinching. But this was different, a unique scenario important and volatile enough to shatter the fortitude of the most collected man she knew.

"Why do you always act like I haven't done this before? Besides, if you do your job and kill Damon, we won't have to worry will we? Get your shit together, it's gonna be alright. Have a little faith." She could tell she sounded frustrated, but she was in no mood to maintain appearances. The truth was, they couldn't screw this up or they would face the most severe of repercussions, and they both knew it.

"Fair enough. I should be caught up with him by this evening; and then I'll finish what we should have last night. I'll give you any updates as I get them. Don't fuck this up, for the love of God." He hung up on her before she could get another word in.

"Asshole." she muttered to herself as she fiddled with the radio, too on edge to sit in silence. Klaus was a terrifying man, but she was rarely afraid of him. Not so coincidentally, she rarely screwed up on something so important.

"_This is K95.5 The Wolf, playing all your favorite rock hits; hear the call of the wild!" _

The beginning chords of a popular alternative rock song from the 90's followed the station identifier. Jules propped her head on her left arm as she exited the highway. She was close and the peculiarities of Klaus's orders swirled around in her head. She hated being left out in the dark on valuable information; especially when she was being required to take somebodies life.

"_Karma police... arrest this man, he talks in maths and buzzes like a fridge..."_

Her eyes darted to the GPS device mounted on her dashboard. She was almost there. Suddenly she thought of Damon, and mused once again on what he could have done to raise the ire of their boss so greatly that he needed to be killed. Not that she minded, she hated Damon and always had. She hated his cocky smile and she hated his sarcastic laugh. She hated the fact he was so attractive and she hated that his ego was as swollen as hers. When she was first told that she was going to kill him, she had to suppress a smile and calm the nervous excitement that threatened to overwhelm her.

"..._Karma police- I've given all I can; but it's not enough. I've given all I can, but we're still on the payroll..."_

What confused her even more was this auxiliary mission that she'd been assigned. Murdering Damon's brother may be brutal, but she could see the coldblooded logic behind it; Klaus had issued similar orders before. Capturing this girl was an entirely different matter. Why did Klaus want her alive, and what value could she possibly possess? It was incredibly risky, so this Elena must hold some secret.

She took a quick glance down at her GPS, and pulled to the side of the street. She took a deep breath, and reached for the Browning Whisper Pistol, with attached silencer, that was in the glove box. She opened the door, tucking the weapon in the back of her tight fitting jeans, and walked down the empty road. Stefan Salvatore's house appeared before her, and she cracked her knuckles, before slipping on latex gloves, her resolve strong. She was eager to redeem herself.

* * *

_Damon threw his head back as he downed another shot of tequila. He had just cracked open the handle, and was eager to put a dent in it. He pounded the two ounce shot glass down on the stained table as he shook his head. He reached for the expensive liquor and poured himself another, wanting to fall into the numbing embrace of intoxication as quickly as possible. _

"_Are you so eager to escape your problems that you can't wait until after this very delicate and important job to drink yourself stupid?" Jules asked him, stepping out of the bathroom on the opposite side of their cheap Las Vegas motel room. She was putting in dangling earrings, and her hair was wet, having just been dyed. _

_Damon narrowed his eyes as he stared down the woman he was forced to work with. "You are the source of all my problems, you insufferable bitch. Don't worry about me though, I'll be fine. Killing an innocent woman isn't too out of the ordinary for a Vegas night." He shot the tequila, and turned away. _

"_You're the most angsty and pathetic hired killer I've ever had the misfortune of knowing. At least you don't have to be touched by some disgusting old man." Jules stepped back into the bathroom and closed the door, presumably to change into a dress. Damon ruffled his hair, which had been dyed blonde, and reflected with misery on his coming assignment. He had done some morally reprehensible things in the three years he had worked for Klaus, including murder, but this was the worst. He was to sneak into the hotel room of a captain from a rival syndicate, and murder his wife. Jules, acting the part of an escort, had met the man earlier in the week and slept with him. They had made plans to meet again tonight, and she was to keep him occupied elsewhere for the duration of the assassination. _

_The bathroom door swung open again, and Jules emerged, dressed and ready to meet the captain at a club on the strip. "How do I look?" she asked, striking a sexy pose in her tiny black dress and 4 inch stilettos. _

_"Like a complete whore. Remind me again why we aren't killing the guy who's actually involved with the enemy? I'm still not quite clear what this will accomplish." _

"_Aww, did someone suddenly develop a moral compass? Anybody in this line of work knows their life is always on the line, it's just something that comes with the territory. But going after the managements family, now that is something that will cause a shock to everyone's morale. Internal strife will result when suddenly guys know their loved ones can be taken out at any time. Klaus is a cold and calculating man, and that's why he's the most powerful, because you absolutely do not fuck with him. Now buck up kiddo, it's time to go." _

_They left the motel room without speaking; parting ways in the lobby. Damon jammed his hands into the pockets of his black slacks as he walked a few blocks towards the direction of the hotel. His head was buzzing nicely from the tequila, but the uneasiness and hesitation persisted. An almost magnetic attraction seemed to assure his continued trek to the hotel though, and within half an hour he was standing outside the monolithic resort of vice and luxury. A doorman dressed in a smart red suit eagerly opened the door for him, and he crossed the threshold, knowing he was just minutes away from his target. _

_Once he was inside he was immediately bombarded by flashing lights, excited chatter and shouts, and noises from thousands of machines. It was like a sort of twisted circus that was colorful and wonderful on the outside, but contained a deep and sinful secret. He pushed his way through the masses in their tailored suits and revealing dresses; all of them eager to risk their money at the chance of striking it big. Damon wanted nothing more than to sit down at one of the green black jack tables, order a scotch, and flirt with a pretty girl who had ended up in Vegas on a whim. Instead he found himself striding across the marble floor to the array of elevators at the back. He gritted his teeth and pushed the button for the 27th floor. The elevator doors opened and he got in, reviewing his plan once more. He avoided eye contact with the drunk, happy couple that couldn't keep their hands off each other, and exited briskly when the doors opened on his floor. _

_His heart pounded as he approached the door; after he put on black leather gloves he pulled out a card key that Jules had swiped from the captain during their last encounter. He slid it, and held his breath, pulling a fake gun out of his jacket pocket. He couldn't shoot this woman; it would be too messy and draw too much attention. No, the gun was merely for intimidation. He had to get up close and strangle her with piano wire, an idea that made his blood run cold. _

_He shut the door silently behind him, and held the plastic gun up, looking around the hotel room. The foyer was dark, but the light in the bedroom was on, and Damon could hear a laugh track emanating from a T.V in the room. He walked carefully over, feeling very much like the grim reaper, and took one last deep breath before he pushed open the bedroom door._

"_Allen?" a confused feminine voice asked hesitantly as the door began to move. Damon fully opened the door, and scanned the room briefly. A middle aged blonde woman who was obviously a frequent patient of a plastic surgeon sat clutching her knees on the king sized hotel bed. She wore a lacy red night gown that provided a generous view of her fake breasts, and an almost empty bottle of wine sat on the night stand next to her. Her eyes grew wide as she saw the gun, and she let out a piercing shriek. _

"_Shut up or I'll shoot you," Damon barked as he walked over toward the television, turning the volume up. _

"_M-m-my husband's not here, please, he's the one you're after," she whimpered, too terrified to move. "He's probably off with some bimbo, I swear, I don't know anything!"_

_Damon couldn't help but allow himself a crooked smile in spite of the situation. He'd have to tell that line to Jules later. "Get up, off the bed," he motioned with his gun for her to move._

"_Just take anything and leave, what do you want with me!" She cried, hysterical. Still she complied, and managed to get off the covers and faced Damon._

"_I'm sorry, you happened to marry the wrong man," Damon was shocked by how cold he sounded. It was if someone else was speaking, as if he was just a puppet. In reality, he was just a marionette and Klaus was pulling the strings. _

"_Are you- are you here to kill me? You don't have to do this! I don't even know why I married him. Please, I'll leave right now and never talk to him or any of his mobster friends again, I swear. I don't even know how I got tied up in all of this. He doesn't even care about me, please just let me go." She was crying now, and looked unbearably pathetic. She walked towards Damon slowly, tears and make up smearing down her face. "Please," she begged one last time._

"_I'm sorry," Damon conceded, before whipping her on the head with the butt of the fake pistol. She withdrew with a small shout, collapsing on the bed. He dropped the pistol, and pulled the piano wire out of his pocket. He quickly approached her from behind, and wrapped the razor thin wire around her neck and pulled as hard as he could with his right arm, while he held her face into the bed to smother he screams. Her muffled shouts were drowned out by a blaring car insurance commercial from the television. She flailed and thrashed in desperation, but was unable to break free from Damon's grasp. He could feel his eyes bulge and his jaw clench as the life drained slowly from her. Her resistance grew progressively weaker, before she stopped moving entirely. Damon released his trembling grip on the wire, and took a step back, breathing heavily, staring down at the lifeless woman in front of him._

_

* * *

_

"_...Karma police, arrest this girl, her hitler hairdo is making me feel ill- and we crashed her party..."_

The radio played at low volume as Damon and Rose drove up I-95, nearly 3 hours north of Stefan's house. They had maintained a lively conversation for the first half of the trip, covering a variety of topics and distracting them both from the unfortunate reality of their situation. But silence had uncomfortably settled in, and Damon turned on the music to alleviate the unspoken tension.

Rose sat idly flicking the wheel on the metallic Zippo lighter that Trevor had kept in the dashboard. She watched the small flame flicker and sway to the current of the air conditioner, reflecting on how she would never have thought she could miss the smell of burning tobacco so much. It lingered faintly in the car, an aromatic reminder of her lost friend's deadly habit. She sighed and put the lighter back, massaging her temples.

"_...This is what you get; this is what you get, this is what you when you mess with us..."_

Damon looked over at Rose, who seemed consumed in her sadness, and put his hand on her shoulder. "Thinking about Trevor?" he asked. She nodded, and grabbed his hand. "I know this isn't exactly the ideal setting to mourn. But we're almost at my friend's. We'll switch out cars, and be on our way. We'll settle down somewhere, get our bearings. After that, who knows. But at least we will be less of a target for the police. I guess the worst is behind us, and maybe we'll get an opportunity for revenge some day down the line."

"Thanks again Damon, I don't know what I would've done if you didn't take me with you. I'd probably be dead or in jail by now." She pulled in closer to him, noticing they had just entered Frederickburg. "You said your friend was in Fredericksburg, yeah?"

"Sure is, two more exits. A quick stop here, and we'll be in D.C before you know it." He kept his arm around her for the duration of their time on 95, taking it off only when he needed both hands to turn. They drove down the quiet streets, before approaching a large auto repair yard, filled with all makes and models of rusted and worn down vehicles. A large garage was near the front, with a faded green sign that read _Saltzman Auto Parts and Repairs_. Damon pulled past the chain link fence into the dirt lot, and turned off the car. "Alright, get anything you need out, because you certainly won't be seeing it again."

A man in a gray mechanic's jumpsuit approached the car, wiping his hands on a dirty rag. Damon stepped out of the car, and Rose followed suit.

"Damon, good to see you, despite the circumstances," the man called out, stretching his hand outwards towards Damon, entering in a firm handshake.

"Ric, thanks for having us, I hate to admit it, but you're a life saver." He pointed his thumb behind his back at Rose, who was grabbing the bags out of the trunk of the car. "And this is Rose, who is along for this nightmarish ride with me."

Rose smiled meekly and walked up to Ric, shaking his hand. "Pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you. Yeah, I figure anything that necessitates the immediate destruction of such a fine piece of machinery must stem from desperation. Don't worry though, I got an old Volvo all gassed up for you and ready to go; even have the registration for it."

"I'll take what I can get." Damon turned back towards Rose, crossing his arms. "I met Ric a few years back in Vegas in a poker room. Took a couple thousand from him, but we still managed to become friends. Must have been fate."

"Hey, you are forgetting the second half of the story, where I saved your drunk ass from getting tossed in jail!"

Damon rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Minor details. Anyways, here you get a chance to make up the money you lost to me." Damon picked up a brown bag and tossed it to Ric. "It's the price we agreed on earlier. Always a pleasure doing business, I'll give you a call when this all blows over, we'll catch a game or a drink."

"Sure, come back at any time. Here let me pull around your new ride." Ric called over his shoulder as he jogged off to the garage.

Damon turned to Rose, who was holding the duffel bag filled with supplies donated by Elena and Stefan. "That car was the first thing Trevor bought when we came to America. It was my last material link to him. On one hand, I'm going to really miss it, and the memories, both good and bad, that I associate with it. On the other, I'm glad it's gone now. Maybe I can start to move on, maybe that was the last link to my old life. Ever since I've been young, things have always been changing, but he's remained a constant." She looked away for a moment. "When I first met him as a little girl, there's no way I could've imagined our lives would turn out like this." An early 2000's dark blue Volvo sedan pulled around the corner slowly and she fell silent.

"How 'bout this. Now that things are going to be a bit more under control, we'll stop in D.C tonight, and I'll take you out to a nice dinner, and I know this exotic bar with great drink specials. Then you can either tell me all about it, or choose to forget it. We can stay at one of those mega-hotels and get a good night's sleep, and go from there. How's that sound?"

Rose looked into Damon's eyes and smiled. "Yeah, that sounds great Damon. Let's go."

* * *

_Elena's grip on the black leather steering wheel was so tight that her knuckles had turned white. She payed no heed to the speedometer, but she knew she must have been going at least twenty miles over the speed limit. It was night and the Virginia back roads were slippery from the steadily falling rain, but she continued her breakneck pace, the wheels of the car gripping the curvy road as she continued on. Her mind was blank, she was either unable to think or simply refused to. It had to be some sort of joke, a sick and cruel prank pulled on her by some malicious individual. She had been at work just twenty minutes ago, folding clothes at the department store, eager for her shift to end so she could go out to dinner with her friends. Her manager had approached her with a look of such dread that Elena knew something was terribly wrong. When she heard the news, a wave of sickening disbelief washed over her. She had gotten in her car and left immediately, and ever since she couldn't shake a haunting surreal feeling that made her numb. _

_She rounded another bend, and blue and red flashing lights illuminated the dark road. An array of emergency vehicles; police cars, an ambulance, and service trucks sat stationary on the side of the road, next to the destroyed barricade. She slammed on the brakes and threw open her car door, running out into the rain without a coat or umbrella. As she approached the yellow emergency tape that had cornered off the scene, a cop in a rain slick called out to her._

"_I'm sorry miss but the road is closed, you'll have to turn around and take a detour on Bethany trail."_

"_I'm Elena Gilbert, my parents, my parents are down there!" she shouted, ducking under the tape._

"_Miss Gilbert, I'm so sorry, here, follow me." She followed the police man to the side of the road, where a blonde woman looked down the sharp hill to a mangled car at the bottom. _

_The woman turned towards Elena, with a sad expression. "You must be Elena. My name is Sheriff Forbes and..."_

"_What happened? My parents, where are my parents?" Elena was near hysterical, and peered down at the upturned car at the bottom of the hill, searching desperately for any sign of movement. _

"_I'm sorry, but they didn't make it. The detectives are down there now, writing the report on the accident. The skid marks on the road indicate someone lost control of their car, and hit your parents' vehicle. In the rain and dark, at such high speeds, they didn't have a chance. I'm so sorry." The sheriff placed her hand on Elena's shoulder and sighed. _

"_They're dead?" The words sounded hollow, an unsatisfactory statement to describe such an atrocity. "The other driver, what happened to them?" She asked almost mechanically. _

"_We're not sure, it appears they drove off. We have patrols down the road searching for any car that looks like they might have gotten in an accident. We're doing our best to find them, and if we catch them, I assure you they will be punished."_

_Elena felt the tears that had been strangely absent earlier collect in the corners of her eyes. Then they came, mixing with the rain and pouring down her cheek. She collapsed in a heap and sobbed, now unable to look at the car down below._

_

* * *

_

The house felt oddly empty now, and Elena sat on the couch, staring down at the book in her hands without really reading the words. She had been unable to get through a single chapter since she picked it up, being too overwhelmed by Damon's surprise visit. She couldn't help but wish he had stayed longer, and the nature of visit left her curious. She had known Damon worked a shady job, he had vaguely described his role in the criminal underworld during his last visit, but she hadn't imagined it could be something so life threatening. Now she couldn't shake the image of him and Rose lying dead somewhere. She shuddered at the thought, and for an instant was reminded of her parents. Their death a few years back had changed her life completely, and she still felt an emptiness that had grown out of the tragedy. Luckily, she found Stefan a few months after, and it was the positive force she needed in her life to break the hold of depression that had settled in. She didn't think she could deal with much more death.

She set down the book, and wandered over to the kitchen, looking in the pantry for a snack. Nothing looked particularly appetizing however, so she moved over to the fridge. Once again, nothing caught her eye. Perhaps a movie would take her mind off things, and she considered asking Stefan to take her to one, but she knew he was busy in his office with work. She began to walk back to the sofa, ready to give reading another shot, when she heard the sound of movement down the hall.

She paused for a moment, wondering if the noise was real or a product of her overactive imagination. Maybe Stefan had left his room, but that didn't make sense, he had been locked in there for the past two hours, and she would have seen him leave. "Stefan?" she called out tentatively, keeping her voice low, nervous of sounding crazy. There was no response, so she decided to put her mind at ease by walking towards the source, to confirm that it was nothing.

Walking down the hall to the front door, she was relieved to find nothing. Paranoia must have taken hold after spending the day worrying about Damon. She peeked out the narrow window on the side of the door, checking outside, but saw nothing suspicious. She shook her head at her baseless fear and turned around, but was stopped dead in her tracks.

A blonde woman with a silenced gun appeared out of the next room, and pointed it at her head. She shrieked, but the woman brought the butt of the pistol down hard on her head, and she fell to the wood floor. Her vision grew cloudy and everything became increasingly distant. She fought to keep her eyes open as she lay motionless on the ground. She was able to make out the form of Stefan running out of his room, and heard a faint pop, before seeing him collapse on the floor. Finally, blackness totally consumed her vision and she faded into unconsciousness.

a/n: thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, I'm very excited about writing this next chapter... It should be good!


	5. Chapter 5

Ric looked up in annoyance at the flickering halogen light bulb above his workbench. An annoying buzz, like so many trapped insects, complimented the epileptic flashes of synthetic light in an unsettling manner. It was currently the only source of light in the massive garage, and Ric felt like the last man alive on an abandoned space ship. He was done with the day's work, and a droning hunger pain in his stomach urged him to leave, to grab a meatball sub and go home to watch some T.V. But he couldn't go home, not yet at least. It reminded him too much of his ex-wife, Isobel, who had left him just a month ago.

Every time he walked in the front door, he expected to hear her call out a greeting from the den where she did her work, informing him of whatever dinner was waiting for him in the fridge. When he sat on his couch, he remembered the feeling of her curling up next to him, the smell of her hair, and the comfort of her touch. And when he tried to sleep in his bed, her absence became too overwhelming, and he would be forced to retreat to the guest room to sleep. So every night he had stayed at his workbench, reading about the histories of far away places from times long gone. A younger or weaker man might have turned to the bar or painkillers to distract from the pain, but the dark garage and flickering lights kept Ric's mind elsewhere.

He set down the heavy, leather bound tome he was reading and glanced at his watch. It was past ten now, and if he waited much longer, the only places that would be open were fast food. He slid open a drawer at the bottom of the desk, and flipped through some scattered papers, looking for some insurance information on a car he had purchased a while back.

The sound of metal scraping across concrete resonated from the opposite end of the garage. Ric looked up instantly, and saw the door opening. His first thought was thieves trying to steal from his garage. Then he arrived upon a much more sinister possibility when he remembered Damon's urgent stop. He quickly turned off his bench light and crouched by the side of the desk. He squinted and saw the silhouette of a man illuminated by moonlight standing at the entrance of the garage.

"Mr. Saltzman? I'd like to have a word with you," a cold voice called out. A warm rush of panic overwhelmed Ric, shooting across his body and causing his skin to crawl. He moved as silently as he could to the darkened shape of a car parked close by. The door was closed and the moonlight disappeared. For a moment Ric was engulfed in total darkness, and he pressed hard against the cool metal of the car. "Come on and make this easier on us both, won't you? I know you're in here," a click was heard, and the beam of a flashlight sliced through the black. "I just want to talk about Damon Salvatore. Perhaps you two are acquainted? Well whatever the case, he was here earlier today, and it is very important that I learn where he is right now."

The light was getting closer, and Ric knew that if he didn't move now, he would be found. It was dark, but he knew the layout of his shop by heart, and he paused, holding his breath, and mapped out the safest route to the door in his head. He would have to move fast and silent.

"If you tell me now, I promise I will be on my way, no hassle. Don't make me hunt you with a flashlight, only to find you crouched in a dark corner like some miserable mutt." The voice was much louder now, much closer. Ric exhaled silently, and took off, crouching as low as he could while he ran. The light whipped towards his side of the garage, and twitched, erratic, behind him. His heart pounding, he slid behind a jagged rack of tires to avoid detection. He did not see a small, angular, protrusion that was adjacent. The rusty metal edge sliced into the side of his leg, and cut deeper as he continued to move. A sudden and immense sensation of pain took hold completely, and he cried out in shock. The room ignited from the shot of a gun, and for a moment the room was illuminated, and Ric saw a glimpse of blood and flesh. His hearing became muffled, and he could feel a gushing of warm blood seep from the wound in his leg. He bit down on his lip, fighting the urge to shout or curse his injury. He tried to crawl using his elbows, thinking he could find something to hide under for the time being. His leg trailed limply on the concrete floor, leaving a tell-tale smear of blood.

His ears were still ringing and his vision had become blurry from the sudden flash of light. He exerted all the strength he could and desperately fought to make it to safety. The beam of the flashlight suddenly clicked on, and he was blinded by it's light. He lifted his arm up to block the intensity, and strained his eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever was hunting him. In front of him, barely illuminated in the dark, was a tall man in a dark suit. His face remained mostly hidden in the shadows, though Ric could see his lips pursed in a frown. The man kneeled down, so that their eyes met. "You should have cooperated, Ric. It's too late now."

* * *

_She sat in a luxurious red arm chair by the window, illuminated only by the moonlight. Damon glanced over at her, and he felt a mixture of dread and regret. She was beautiful and he was a fool, letting his emotions get the best of him and causing him to make a very dangerous decision. She had been uncharacteristically silent for the past few minutes, leaving Damon alone in the hotel bed. She was a seductress of the deadliest sort, wearing black silk lingerie and a short, transparent robe that was untied, highlighting her exquisite curves. Her hair trailed over shoulders, messy from sex, but still lush and stylish. She was the embodiment of lust and Damon couldn't help but wonder if this night would be the end of him one day in the future. _

_It was a warm, spring night and a gentle breeze entered through the open window, bringing the noise of the city streets below. "Why are you so worried Damon? Don't tell me you're having second thoughts about this." She laughed a humorless laugh. "Well it doesn't matter if you are, because it's too late now." She stood up, and glanced at him with a twisted smile before walking into the bathroom. A faucet was turned and a steady stream of water sounded._

_He had never met such a dangerous or beautiful woman before, and he had certainly never found a woman with such unprecedented control over him. It was something that troubled Damon, but at the same time it was part of the reason he found her so intoxicating. She knew it too, and used the leverage to manipulate Damon, constantly flirting with him or leading him on. There was another reason Damon found her irresistible, and it was the source of his self-loathing. She was the preferred mistress of his ruthless boss, Klaus. He was a man who had no love in his heart, and regarded most women as a means to consolidate his powerful ego. But he approached her differently; with a sick and pathological obsession. She played along at first, enamored by the material wealth and excitement of being associated with such a man. Klaus had even given her some power and responsibility, breaking his own cardinal rule to never mix business with pleasure. But he became too controlling, and his devotion to her was frightening. Eventually she had enough, and confided in Damon of her intentions to leave. He wanted nothing to do with her departure at first, but eventually she had convinced him to help. Klaus wasn't even in the country, so the risk of him getting caught helping her was low, but if he ever found out, Damon would suffer terribly. _

"_Come on, cheer up, we don't have much time left together. After tonight, I'll never see you again," She reemerged, having washed off her make up. _

"_And what a relief that will be," he joked._

_Her lips formed a pouty frown, and she put her hands on her hips. "Oh, don't be like that Damon. Think of this as a good deed." _

"_Well, Katherine, I was under the impression good deeds were rewarded," _

_She walked slowly towards him, reaching behind her back to unclasp her bra. It hung swaying in the air, hooked on her index finger. "Aren't we selfish? I hope you didn't agree to this just to sleep with me. Not that I particularly mind." She laughed to herself, and pounced into bed with Damon._

* * *

The hotel door swung open, and Damon and Rose entered the room in a howl of drunken laughter. "No, tell me you didn't really say that to her?" Rose laughed, wiping a tear away from her eye.

"Oh, I assure you," Damon said, trying his best to maintain a straight face, "she was horrified. Never called me again, can you imagine that."

"And rightfully so! Poor girl should have ran for the hills when she had the chance," Rose joked as she took off her jacket. She bent over to take off her shoes, and teetered to the side, unable to keep her balance. Damon bounded the small distance between them with impressive speed for a man who had just consumed so much bourbon. He caught her as she fell, and gripped both of her arms strongly, propping her back up. She turned around to look at him, "Oh Damon, my hero," she said mockingly, placing her hand on her forehead and pretending as if she was going to swoon. They both laughed, and their eyes met. Damon peered into Rose's eyes and his brain raced, trying to decipher the look. He didn't have the best track record, assuming nine times out of ten that a vulnerable locking of eyes meant an inevitable locking of lips (and why shouldn't it, he was Damon Salvatore after all). Just as he was convinced it was time to go in for the kiss, to his astonishment she took the two steps toward him, placed her hand behind his head and drew him in.

They kissed passionately, and backed closer and closer to the bed behind him. Her hands worked furiously to unbutton his shirt, while his explored her body. Finally the last button on Damon's shirt was undone, and they broke apart for a brief moment as he threw it to the floor, and ripped off his under shirt. They looked at each other again, their eyes fierce, and Rose bit her lip and smiled, "This is going to be fun."

Damon walked up and and kissed her again for a moment. "Fun barely begins to describe what we are about to do," he said, lowering his hands to her waist so he could take off her shirt. It slid off, revealing a maroon push-up bra with twisting black floral patterns. She shook her hair for a moment, and stepped towards Damon, running her hand across his chest. He reached behind her back as he went in to kiss her again, and took a few seconds to unhook her bra. It slid off, and he pulled her closer in so he could feel her naked chest against his. Her hands gravitated to his chest, and she pulled away from him for a second, and shoved him, causing him to fall backwards, landing on the bed.

He craned his head up, and saw she had dropped to her knees, already working to undo his belt buckle. He set his head back down on the bed and closed his eyes, utterly content, as she slid off his pants. Her hands found their way to his inner thighs, and a moment later he could feel her tongue, and then her lips close around the tip of his penis. She used her right hand to stroke as her head bobbed up and down, and Damon moaned, leaning forward slightly to nestle his hand in her hair, and to observe. She continued, intermittently closing her eyes and looking up as he lightly pulled her hair, until she grew too eager, and stopped; standing up to take off her pants before jumping into bed with him.

She straddled him, putting her hands on his pecs, staring down at him as he bore a look a of amazement and eagerness. She saw his hand reach down to his waist, and she inhaled deeply as she could feel him enter her, letting her eyes roll back, and having forgotten entirely about everything terrible that had happened in the past few days.

_BZZT BZZT BZZT_

Damon's eyes fluttered open, and were greeted with a complete darkness, interrupted only by the unnatural blue glow that belonged to his cell phone. His head was still in a fog from the alcohol, and for a moment he had no idea where he was or what he was doing there. He didn't make a move for his phone at first, wondering if perhaps he was still dreaming and the noise would go away by itself.

_BZZT BZZT BZZT _

He heard Rose roll over in bed, and she let out a muffled groan. Suddenly the hazy details of the night began to fall into place, and he looked across the bed at Rose through the darkness and felt a comforting sense of satisfaction. He also remembered how much trouble they were in, and decided a late night phone call could be important. He appreciated the sanctuary of the bed for a second more, then cast off the comforter and stumbled over to the table where he had thrown his phone.

_BZZT BZZT BZZT_

_Incoming call: Ric Saltzman. _Not exactly who Damon expected, but leagues better than some of the alternatives. He pushed the answer button and held the phone up to his ear, cringing at the bright screen. "Hello? Ric, what the hell are you doing calling so late?" He mumbled, trying to keep his voice low as to not wake Rose.

"I'm sorry Damon, but it's Elijah calling," A familiar voice came through.

Damon froze, trying to process the unexpected change of events. "Where's Ric, what happened to him?" Damon tried to sound fierce and demanding, but he was too surprised.

"Your friend is dead, and-"

"Bullshit!" Damon hissed, leaning against the wall. "Don't lie, how did you even find him?"

"Your persistent arrogance will be your downfall Damon. Why did you assume we wouldn't be able to track Trevor's car? If we went through the effort to kill him, wouldn't you think we would take some precautions? And if you don't believe me about your friend, I can send you a picture if you like, although I must warn you, it is rather gruesome."

His heart was pounding in his chest, and he did everything he could to resist the urge of throwing his phone against the wall and overturning everything in the room. "Why didn't you just go after me? Why Ric?"

"Well I haven't a clue where you are now Damon. The car lead me to Ric and he refused to lead me to you. Which is why I called you now, to end this ridiculous game of cat and mouse."

Damon began to pace, and he heard the rustling of covers. Rose had sat up and was staring at him, concerned, but having the good sense to keep quiet. "You expect me to just give up after you kill my friend, and after you admit to not having a clue where I am?"

Elijah laughed. "Hmm. No Damon, I expect you to give up when I tell you that Ric was not the only friend of yours we paid a visit to today."

"No.."

"How was your brother Damon? I hope you enjoyed seeing him." Damon was silent. "Well he's dead now. And that Elena,"

"You are dead, I am coming to kill you right now!" Damon shouted, knocking a small coffee brewer off the table.

It shattered on the floor as Elijah cleared his throat over the phone. "That is the reaction I was hoping to elicit. Well then come for us Damon. Elena is still here and very much alive, but she won't stay that way for long. If you come here and give up this silly chase of ours, she will walk unharmed, and this unfortunate matter can finally be behind us. And Rose, is she still with you?"

Damon massaged his forehead, unwilling to comprehend the phone call. "No, no we split ways right after you murdered her best friend. I have no idea where she is now."

"Well Elena said she was at her house this morning, so I guess that makes one of you a liar. And honestly I am much more willing to accept the word of a complete stranger over yours. It's been what, two days now? I'm sure she's lying naked in your motel bed, listening in, confused and scared, as you talk to me,"

"It's a hotel, and a decent one at that, give some credit where credit is due," Damon tried his best to sound less devastated than he was.

"Well, the good news for her is she's off the hook, and you can tell her as much. She was only grouped in to die with you and Trevor by association. Trevor was stealing, and you, well you shouldn't have fucked the boss's girl; much less aided her in fleeing with some of his money. It seemed like common sense to me."

"How did you even find out?" Damon interrogated.

"He found her Damon. It took two years, but Klaus finally found her. And she told him everything. Now you sound like you are in no condition to drive, but you have twenty four hours to get to get back to Klaus's office or Elena dies. You are to come alone and unarmed, or she dies. You get all of that?"

"What makes you think I care? Seems like you don't know where I am, and I can go ahead and keep on running."

"Well, that's what Katherine thought as well, and if it brings you any comfort, you will suffer less than she is going to. If you don't come back, Elena dies, that is a given. Klaus will never stop hunting you, and I promise, we will find you. Rose will also be killed. Come on Damon, this is your moment of atonement. You can save both their lives, you just have to sacrifice your own. Now I have to get going." The phone went dead, and Damon was left in the darkness and silence, the gravity of the conversation bearing down on him.

* * *

He had been dreaming, or at least he assumed he had been. Various fragments of broken images came back to him as his eyes fluttered open. He was shrouded in darkness now as he had been in his dreams. And if this was reality, although he wasn't quite sure if it was, it was just as perplexing and disorienting as his dreams. His whole body was cold and aching, and his muscles felt stiff and unresponsive. When he tried to sit up, an intense pain shot throughout his entire body, and his shirt felt damp against his chest.

He groaned in pain and set his head back down on the floor, feeling dizzy. His hand moved carefully to his stomach, and he poked it, trying to figure out the source of the pain. When his fingers settled on the wound, all his nerve endings flared in protest, and it felt as if his stomach was on fire. Stefan groaned again, accepting the pain without realizing why it happened.

Then it all came back to him in an instant. Elena's screaming and the blonde woman with the gun. Terror and concern consumed him entirely, causing him to yell out in panic. He collected himself the best he could, and forced himself into rational thought. The police; he needed to call the police. He let his eyes acclimate to the dark, and reached down to pat his pockets. He felt the familiar bulge of his phone, and slid his hand carefully in, grabbing it. He squinted in the darkness, as all the little lit numbers blended together. After a few misses, he finally got the correct sequence of keys.

He placed the phone next to his head and heard the dial.

"911 operator, what is your emergency?"

"My name- my name is Stefan Salvatore," he coughed, feeling extremely weak. He wondered for a moment how much blood he had lost. "I've been shot, and.." he found himself unable to finish the conversation. His eyes closed and he forgot entirely about the phone as he slipped back into unconsciousness.


End file.
